AI Engineer, Public Sector

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an AI Engineer, Public Sector based in the United States.

Join an innovative AI engineering team developing advanced artificial intelligence solutions for US government agencies and mission-critical public sector applications. In this role, you will design, build, and deploy generative and predictive AI capabilities that address complex operational challenges and support high-impact government missions. You will work with large language models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agentic workflows, and predictive machine learning to transform emerging AI technologies into practical, secure, and scalable solutions. Balancing rapid proof-of-concept development with long-term production readiness, you will help turn ambitious ideas into reliable applications. Working closely with government customers, subject matter experts, and cross-functional teams, you will translate technical concepts into measurable outcomes. This opportunity combines hands-on engineering, applied research, and customer collaboration in a fast-growing environment focused on trustworthy, explainable, and responsible AI.

Accountabilities:

Design and deploy AI solutions: Develop, implement, and deploy AI-powered applications that address the needs of US government customers and support mission-critical use cases.
Build generative and predictive AI capabilities: Create solutions combining large language models, predictive machine learning, and intelligent workflows to solve complex customer problems.
Develop rapid prototypes: Build proof-of-concept applications to validate technical approaches, demonstrate value, and accelerate customer adoption while designing solutions that can evolve into scalable, maintainable systems.
Implement agentic workflows: Explore and develop AI agents, LLM fine-tuning approaches, structured outputs, multimodal capabilities, and advanced orchestration patterns.
Build user-facing applications: Design and develop interfaces and applications that enable customers to interact effectively with AI-powered tools, using frameworks such as Flask or Streamlit.
Integrate AI technologies: Connect AI models and applications with APIs, databases, retrieval systems, and existing customer infrastructure to deliver end-to-end solutions.
Collaborate with customers and experts: Engage directly with government stakeholders and subject matter experts to understand requirements, communicate technical concepts clearly, and translate operational challenges into practical AI solutions.
Support solution discovery and pre-sales: Contribute technical expertise to pre-sales activities, demonstrations, and solution design, identifying how AI capabilities can meet customer requirements.
Conduct applied research and development: Investigate emerging generative AI techniques, agentic capabilities, and predictive modeling approaches to expand the possibilities of AI applications in government environments.
Promote trustworthy AI practices: Contribute to the development of secure, transparent, explainable, and reliable AI solutions suitable for sensitive and regulated use cases.
Requirements:
Professional experience: At least three years of professional experience in AI/ML, software engineering, or a related technical field.
Education: A bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate qualification in a technical discipline, supported by a strong foundation in applied artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Programming expertise: Strong Python programming skills and the ability to develop practical, maintainable AI applications. Experience with Java and HTML is an advantage.
Generative AI knowledge: Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), prompt engineering, AI agents, structured outputs, multimodal large language models, and embedding models.
AI frameworks: Experience with or knowledge of frameworks and libraries such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, and Hugging Face Transformers.
Predictive machine learning: Experience developing, training, or deploying predictive AI models, ideally within government or other mission-critical environments.
Application development: Ability to build functional AI prototypes and user interfaces using tools such as Flask, Streamlit, or comparable UI development frameworks.
APIs and integrations: Familiarity with common APIs and development frameworks, including OpenAI APIs, GraphQL, and FastAPI.
Data and retrieval technologies: Understanding of databases, vector search, and RAG infrastructure, with exposure to technologies such as Pinecone, FAISS, OpenSearch, and Neo4j.
Government sector experience: Experience working with or supporting the US Department of Defense, the US Intelligence Community, or federal civilian agencies is desirable.
Customer-facing communication: Ability to explain complex AI/ML concepts in clear, accessible language and connect technical capabilities to practical customer needs and operational outcomes.
Problem-solving and adaptability: Strong analytical skills, creativity, and the ability to move between rapid experimentation and the development of robust, reusable solutions.
Security clearance: Must be eligible to obtain a US Top Secret security clearance. An active Top Secret clearance is preferred.
US employment and export-control eligibility: Applicants must meet applicable US government export-control requirements. This generally requires US citizenship, lawful permanent residence, qualifying protected-individual status, or eligibility to obtain the necessary government authorizations.
Benefits:
Competitive salary: Annual base salary ranging from $185,000 to $225,000 USD, depending on qualifications, experience, location, applicable government contract labor categories, education, and certifications.
Additional compensation: Potential eligibility for annual bonuses, equity awards in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs), and other incentive compensation, depending on the role and applicable compensation arrangements.
Equity ownership: The opportunity to participate in the organization's long-term growth through equity awards.
Flexible paid time off: Unlimited paid time off and 14 paid company holidays to support rest, personal commitments, and work-life balance.
Flexible working arrangements: Remote work options, flexible working hours, and hybrid opportunities, with offices in Reston, Virginia, and Austin, Texas. Specific arrangements may depend on customer and role requirements.
Retirement savings: A 401(k) plan with employer matching to help support long-term financial goals.
Comprehensive healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage beginning on the first day of employment, with options to support employees and their families.
Paid parental leave: Paid leave to support employees welcoming a child through birth, adoption, or foster placement.
Meaningful mission: The opportunity to develop advanced AI technologies that address complex challenges and contribute to important US government and public sector initiatives.
Innovative technical environment: Work with modern AI frameworks, emerging generative AI technologies, predictive models, and agentic systems.
Collaborative culture: Join a team of skilled professionals committed to customer success, technical innovation, security, transparency, and responsible AI development.
Professional growth: Opportunities to expand expertise in applied AI, government-focused solutions, customer engagement, and the deployment of mission-critical systems.